Gorilla Trekking From the UK: 7 Steps to Add Rwanda to a Kenya Safari

Gorilla trekking from the UK is easier than most people expect: a nonstop overnight flight links London Heathrow with Kigali in about eight and a half hours, and Nairobi is a short regional hop away. Book one open-jaw ticket, secure a USD 1,500 Rwanda permit early and pair one gorilla day with a Kenya safari.

Sense of Adventure is a safari operator based at Mountain Mall on Thika Road in Nairobi and licensed by Kenya’s Tourism Regulatory Authority (licence TRA1/47/C01/77087). We plan private safaris across Kenya, Tanzania with Zanzibar, Uganda and Rwanda, with our own pop-up roof 4×4 Land Cruisers and English-speaking driver-guides. This guide is written for British travellers: which flights to book from London, how to order the two countries, when to go around UK holidays and how booking direct works.

Why Gorilla Trekking From the UK Pairs So Well With Kenya

Gorilla trekking from the UK pairs naturally with Kenya because the hardest part of the trip, the long-haul flight, is shared. Once you are in East Africa, Kigali and Nairobi are about an hour and a half apart by air, so one journey from Britain can include mountain gorillas in Rwanda and big cats on the Kenyan plains.

On any trip built around gorilla trekking from the UK, the gorilla visit itself is short by design. You spend one hour with a habituated family, usually on a single morning, and most travellers feel that one or two treks is enough. Flying all the way from Britain for three days in the forest can feel rushed and expensive per day, which is why so many British travellers add a Kenya safari of five to seven nights. For gorilla trekking from the UK, the contrast is the appeal: misty bamboo and volcano slopes one week, open grassland and the Masai Mara the next.

Small time change, big difference

For gorilla trekking from the UK, timing is kind: Rwanda runs on Central Africa Time, one hour ahead of the UK in summer and two hours ahead in winter. Kenya is one hour further ahead again. That means very little jet lag when gorilla trekking from the UK, which matters on a day that starts before dawn with a briefing at the park headquarters.

Step 1: Choose the Right Flights From London

The right flights for gorilla trekking from the UK are usually a nonstop overnight from Heathrow to Kigali, plus a nonstop return from Nairobi to London. Booked together as one open-jaw ticket, they remove the need to backtrack and leave the regional Kigali to Nairobi flight as the only extra leg.

Open-jaw tickets explained

An open-jaw ticket flies you into one city and home from another, and it is the single most useful booking trick, because it saves a day of backtracking and often costs little more than a simple return. Search for a multi-city fare on your preferred booking site, then send us the arrival and departure times so we can build the land arrangements around them.

Flying from outside London

Travellers planning gorilla trekking from the UK in the North, the Midlands and Scotland can start with a one-stop routing through a European or Gulf hub and still arrive in Kigali or Nairobi the next morning. Compare the total journey time for gorilla trekking from the UK, not just the fare. If you would rather start from Heathrow, an early train or a night at an airport hotel before the evening departure keeps the first day calm.

Step 2: Decide Whether Gorillas or the Safari Come First

Gorillas first is the better order for most people gorilla trekking from the UK, because you trek while fresh and finish with relaxed game drives. Safari first suits travellers who want a gentle start or who are aiming for the Great Migration on specific dates in the Masai Mara.

Gorillas first

Land in Kigali after the overnight flight, spend a quiet afternoon in the city, then drive north to Musanze, roughly two and a half to three hours through green terraced hills. Trek the following morning, add a golden monkey trek or a rest day, then fly to Nairobi for the safari. Our Kenya and Rwanda safari runs the other way round, so tell us which direction suits your flights and we will mirror it.

Safari first

For gorilla trekking from the UK, starting in Kenya gives you time to adjust before the most physical day of the trip. It also keeps the permit date late in the journey, which can help if you are still waiting for a specific migration window. The trade-off is that the final days in Rwanda are more active, so plan a quiet last evening in Kigali before the flight home.

Step 3: Secure the Gorilla Permit Before Anything Else

Secure the permit first, because it is the one part of gorilla trekking from the UK that cannot be swapped for something similar. Each habituated family receives a small, fixed number of visitors a day, and for the drier months permits for popular dates can go months ahead.

What the permit covers

A Rwanda gorilla permit for international visitors costs USD 1,500 per person at the time of writing, set by the Rwanda Development Board. It covers park entry, the ranger-guides and trackers, and one hour with a habituated gorilla family in Volcanoes National Park. Lower rates announced for 2026 apply to Rwandan, East African and other African citizens, not to UK passport holders. Our gorilla trekking from Kenya guide compares the Rwanda and Uganda options in more detail.

Minimum age and group size

Trekkers must be at least 15 years old, which shapes family plans for gorilla trekking from the UK. Groups are small, usually up to eight visitors per gorilla family, and rangers match walkers to families by fitness where they can. Younger children can stay at the lodge with a parent; our guide to safari minimum ages for children covers the alternatives.

Step 4: Time the Trip Around UK Holidays and the Seasons

The best time for gorilla trekking from the UK is during the drier months: June to September and December to February. These line up well with the British summer holidays and the Christmas break, and the Kenyan half of the trip is at its best in the same months, with the Great Migration in the Masai Mara from about July to October.

For family gorilla trekking from the UK, school dates vary by council and nation, so check yours before booking. For families comparing weeks, our UK half-term safari guide lists the 2027 half-term dates and shows which Kenya routes fit a single school week. Remember the minimum age of 15 when choosing a family trip for gorilla trekking from the UK.

Trekking in the wetter months

Gorilla trekking from the UK still works in the rainy seasons. Trails are muddier and showers are likely, but the forest is lush and the light can be beautiful. Good boots, gaiters and a light waterproof make the difference, and lodges in the green months are often easier to secure at short notice.

Step 5: Budget in Pounds When Prices Are in Dollars

Budget for gorilla trekking from the UK in US dollars, then convert, because the permit, lodges and safari prices in East Africa are all set in dollars. Your bank or card provider converts the amount into sterling when you pay, so the final figure in pounds moves with the exchange rate.

For gorilla trekking from the UK, prices are the starting figures shown on each trip page. Season, lodge level, whether the permit is included and group size set the final figure. International flights are extra on every trip, and so are the Kenya eTA, tips and personal travel insurance. More ideas for British travellers are on our Kenya safari packages from the UK page.

Where the money goes

On most trips that combine gorilla trekking from the UK with Kenya, the permit and the Rwanda lodge nights are the largest single items, followed by the Mara camps and any light-aircraft flights. Choosing a Midrange 3* lodge near the park and keeping the Kenya section by road in a private Land Cruiser are the two simplest ways to bring the total down.

Step 6: Book Land-Only Direct and Understand ATOL

Booking gorilla trekking from the UK directly with us means booking a land-only trip: permits, private vehicles and guides, lodges, park fees, regional flights within East Africa and airport meet and greet. Sense of Adventure is a Kenyan company and is not ATOL-protected, so we do not sell international flights in a package to UK travellers.

How your flights fit in

With gorilla trekking from the UK booked land-only, you book your own flights, and we build every transfer and trek around your arrival and departure times. If you would prefer a flight-inclusive package with ATOL protection, it has to be sold by a UK business that holds an ATOL licence; the Civil Aviation Authority’s ATOL pages explain what the scheme covers. Our Kenya safari from the UK planning guide sets out the wider booking timeline.

Step 7: Know When to Book From the UK

For gorilla trekking from the UK in the summer holidays or over Christmas, start planning 9 to 12 months ahead, because permits and the best lodges near Volcanoes National Park go early. For the shoulder months, four to six months is usually enough, and short-notice trips are sometimes possible in the green season.

• First: share your preferred month, the number of trekkers and their ages, and we check permit availability.
• Second: we send a written plan with two comfort levels within 24 hours.
• Third: confirm in writing so we can secure the permit, then book your open-jaw flights the same week.
• Fourth: sort the Kenya eTA, travel insurance and any vaccinations three to four weeks before you fly.

If your gorilla trekking from the UK party is a group of friends or a family with teenagers, give us a little longer. Plan early: several permits for the same family on the same morning are harder to secure than one or two.

Paperwork for Rwanda and Kenya on a British Passport

For gorilla trekking from the UK on a British passport, Rwanda offers a free 30-day visa on arrival to Commonwealth citizens, while Kenya requires an Electronic Travel Authorisation before you board. Your passport should be valid for at least six months after arrival, with a blank page for stamps.

Rwanda entry

For gorilla trekking from the UK, details of the visa arrangements are on the Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration website, and British citizens can also apply in advance through the Rwandan High Commission in London. If you arrive in Rwanda from Kenya, you need a yellow fever vaccination certificate; our yellow fever certificate guide for East Africa explains the rules country by country. Ask your GP practice or a travel clinic well ahead.

Kenya entry

Apply for the Kenya eTA on the official Kenya eTA portal. Since October 2026, visitors also buy the Kenyan Government inbound travel health insurance within the eTA application, and a UK travel policy does not replace it. Confirm the current wording when you apply, and read our Kenya mandatory travel insurance guide for how the two policies fit together. Before you book, we talk you through your route and current travel conditions.

What the Trekking Day Is Like

The trekking day, when months of gorilla trekking from the UK planning pay off, starts early, with a briefing at the park headquarters in Kinigi, then a short drive to the trailhead and a walk through farmland and forest. The time to reach the family varies from under an hour to several hours, depending on where the gorillas have moved overnight.

On any gorilla trekking from the UK itinerary, expect paths that can be steep, muddy and at altitude, so reasonable walking fitness helps. Local porters can be hired at the start to carry your daypack and give a hand on the slippery sections. Once you reach the gorillas, the hour passes quickly: you keep a respectful distance, follow the ranger’s instructions and simply watch.

What to pack for the forest

• Footwear: broken-in waterproof walking boots and gaiters.
• Hands: gardening-style gloves for grabbing vines and nettles.
• Layers: long trousers, a long-sleeved top and a light waterproof jacket.
• Daypack: water, snacks and a rain cover for your camera.
• Bags: soft luggage for any light-aircraft flights in Kenya.

For more on the park itself before gorilla trekking from the UK, including golden monkeys and volcano hikes, see our Rwanda safari holidays page and the official Visit Rwanda tourism site.

What Your Private Trip Includes

Every trip that combines gorilla trekking from the UK with a Kenya safari is private. In Rwanda you have a private vehicle and driver-guide for the transfers to and from Volcanoes National Park; in Kenya you travel in our own pop-up roof 4×4 Land Cruiser with reclining seats, charging ports and a window seat for everyone.

• Arrival: meet and greet at Kigali International Airport and at Jomo Kenyatta International or Wilson Airport in Nairobi.
• Permits and fees: gorilla permits, park entry and conservancy fees as quoted.
• Choice of comfort: every quote compares Midrange 3* and Standard Luxury 4* lodges and camps.
• Flights in East Africa: the Kigali to Nairobi hop and any light-aircraft seats to the Masai Mara.
• Peace of mind: complimentary AMREF Flying Doctors evacuation cover in Kenya, alongside your own travel insurance.

For Kenya’s parks, the Kenya Wildlife Service is the official source. When you are ready, our Plan My Safari form brings a tailor-made itinerary within 24 hours, and our safari combinations page shows other ways to link East African countries.

Gorilla Trekking From the UK FAQs

Related Safari Guides

• › Kenya Safari Packages From the UK
• › Kenya Safari From the UK: The Planning Guide
• › Gorilla Trekking From Kenya
• › Volcanoes National Park Safari
• › Rwanda Safari Holidays